The Ghana Integrity Initiative has ridiculed President John Mahama’s achievements in fighting corruption, accusing the government of "just busy tickling with the symptoms".
Unconvinced by President John Mahama's commitment to fighting the canker, the Ghana chapter of Transparency International, is urging Ghana’s president to go for a mentoring session from some heads of state on the continent who are making inroads in the fight against corruption.
“GII wishes to appeal to President John Dramani Mahama to turn to President Muhammudu Buhari and President John Magufuli for mentoring and act more swiftly to curb corruption in this country,” GII said in a statement signed by its Executive Director Vitus Adaboo Azeem.
The statement added, “Action on the cases so far unearthed must be swift, fair and cover everybody that is indicted, no matter their position in government or the ruling NDC. THE TIME TO NAME, SHAME AND JAIL IS NOW. ANAS AND TIGER EYE HAVE SHOWN THE WAY. This is the only way to eliminate or at least reduce corruption and impunity in the country. It is time to BREAK THE CORRUPTION CHAIN.”
The Ghana Integrity Initiative’s statement is grounded on the fact that whilst other African countries are busily subduing corruption, “In Ghana, every week comes with a more serious case of corruption being unearthed. The list of cases of corruption and the amounts involved and the personalities mentioned are simply mindboggling and unbelievable.”
GII’s position is coming at a time when Ghana joined the world to mark the International Anti-Corruption Day.
President at the ceremony enumerated a number of achievements chalked by his government in the area of corruption.
Making reference to corruption at the National Service Secretariat, President Mahama said about 18.5 million cedis have been retrieved to the state.
President Mahama noted that many people have been prosecuted with regard to the national service corruption scandal.
Touching on the Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Agency (GYEEDA), judgment debts paid to businessman Alfred Woyome among other cases ongoing at the courts, he said over 20 million cedis has been recovered.
The President today said the Attorney General, working in concert with anti-corruption institutions has been instructed to recover all the monies wrongfully paid by the end of the year.
Interestingly, a similar order and timeline was given by the president two years for the same monies to be recovered.
“I have instructed the Minister for Justice and Attorney-General, EOCO and the Minister of Finance to work with the Minister for Youth and Sports to achieve the following by 31st December 2013: a. Secure refunds of monies wrongfully paid to or appropriated by any individuals or companies from contracts with SADA, GYEEDA, and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and to retrieve monies wrongfully paid to Waterville and Isofoton."
Speaking on Joy FM’s Top Story, Vitus Azeem questioned government’s ability to recover the monies when orders given two years ago have been flouted.
“How can we be convinced that there is a commitment to get these monies paid,” he asked, remarking “we are not seeing the actual action.”
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